Managing My Anxiety about Moving to University

Moving to university is daunting for pretty much everyone, and it’s completely natural to have some anxiety about starting a new chapter in your life.

I have struggled with anxiety since secondary school, and the COVID-19 pandemic heightened this. Moving to university seemed like a huge, scary step, and I was so worried I wasn’t prepared for the move. Luckily, the whole process was made easier with the help of University staff and the welcome events.

Transitioning to Life at University

My Freshers’ Week was a little rocky; Coronavirus had shut everything down, and my mental health wasn’t great. 

My accommodation was nearby and fairly quiet, which was a good fit for me. I found the Wellbeing and Mental Health team incredibly helpful. The team was so welcoming and supportive, easing my transition into university life and confirming that I’d made the right choice by coming to Chester!

Meeting New People

Meeting new people was one of the biggest things I was worried about. How would I meet new people? Would I make friends? What if I didn’t fit in?

The great thing about the University of Chester is that it is based on a campus, which means there are so many safe ways to meet new people and find your crowd. You meet other students in lectures, cafes, the student union, the campus bar, common rooms and more, not to mention through joining societies.

One of the first events I attended was a psychology meet-up at the student bar. I managed to make so many friends because the other students were studying the same course as me, so we automatically had something in common, something to talk about. And from there, we became fast friends!

Lectures

I studied BSc Psychology and found the lectures very welcoming, with friendly lecturers willing to go the extra mile to help if needed. Some lectures are held in larger groups, while others are in smaller groups – both have their advantages and offer a place to widen your social pool.

Workload

Another one of my anxieties centred on the workload. Would I be able to keep up? Everyone at my sixth form kept saying, “It’s a huge ramp-up from A Levels.” And in a way, it is, but you feel like you’re eased into it.

The first few lectures are like dipping your toe into the swimming pool rather than being thrown in at the deep end! My course lecturers uploaded all the PowerPoint materials to Moodle, which I was grateful for; it helped ease my anxiety as I could see in advance what we were going to be learning about. It also meant I could save a copy to my laptop or print out the slides to annotate during the lecture. Knowing what was coming up was great for me; I like to know exactly what, where and when something is happening. I used to think there was nothing worse than going into a lecture and having to learn a topic I had never heard of before. Nowadays, I love going to a lecture and learning a new topic; I know the lecturers are careful not to overwhelm you with lots of information straight away, so I don’t need to look at the presentation or topic beforehand.

There is so much support with assignments from the module leaders, the Academic Skills team and other students on your course.

Personal Academic Tutor

At the University of Chester, you also get a Personal Academic Tutor (PAT). Your PAT is essentially a mentor, who provides academic and pastoral support. I have the best PAT, even though all my friends think they have the best PAT too!

Support Services

In my second year, I developed a long-term illness. My PAT was there to help me with adaptations at University. They put me in contact with the Disability and Inclusion team, and before long, I had an inclusion plan put in place, which meant I could continue studying without worrying that I’d fall behind. And the Wellbeing and Mental Health team supported me from a pastoral side.

As my illness developed, I lost some mobility and started using a wheelchair. The buildings are accessible, so I could carry on attending my lectures as normal (or as normally as possible!). When I struggled with some of the doors, I mentioned this, which led to new automatic doors being fitted; these were held back by magnets, so I didn’t have to worry about needing help. University staff listened to my issues and responded with a swift solution. I have friends at other universities who have struggled with mobility issues; they’ve been told by their university that they will ‘look into it’, whereas at Chester, staff worked to find a feasible solution for me.

Overall Experience

My overall experience of moving to university with anxiety has been overwhelmingly positive. I loved studying for my degree at the University of Chester, so much so that I stayed on to study the MSc Family and Child Psychology course. The support available is top-notch, and I don’t think any other university would have supported me as much or made me feel as at home as I do here.